INTRODUCTION. 
The literature piiblislied on the Australian Aborigines is much more volum- 
inous than voulcl at first sight appear to ho the case. The number of 
thoroughly good works, however, complete in themselves is small, the much 
larger proportion of the material published consisting of papers and memoirs 
contained in the Transactions of learned societies, and works of travel and 
exploration. The best Avorks are undoubtedly the late 11. Brough Smyth’s 
Aborigines of Victoria J. 3). Wood’s The Native Tribes of South Australia f 
the Bev. G. Taplin’s Folklore, Manners, Customs, and Language of the South 
Australian Aborigines Bison and HoAvitt’s Kamilaroi and Kurnai, SfC.f 
the Bev. W. Bidley’s Kamilaroi, Lippil, and Turrubul, Sj'C. Captain 
Sadlier’s of Australia f E. M. Curr’s important Avork, The Austra- 
lian Race, Sfc.f the late James BonAvick’s Daily Life and Origin of the 
Tasmanians / Dr. P. Topinard’s Ekide sur les Races indigenes de V Australie f 
and Mr. J. DaAVson’s Australian Aborigines f a number of others could he 
cited, but of minor importance. A perusal of the Avorks named will aa'cII 
repay the reader, and enable him to form a much higher opinion of the 
Australian Black than he other Avise could by listening to the oft repeated 
platitudes on his degraded position in the scale of humanity. 
Amongst the general mass of Memoirs and Essays there are a number 
of Anluable papers. On the general Manners and Customs the reader cannot 
do better than consult the excellent account, given as far back as 1S45, by 
the late Governor E. J. Eyre a paper by Mr. J. Mann, a Leichhardt 
A^eteran, Notes on the Aborigines of Aiistr alia f rvsiii a series of essays by 
Mr. A. lA. Hoaa itt, the intrepid rescuer of the only suiwh'or of the ill-fated 
Burke and "Wills Expedition. These highly philosophical memoirs will be 
found in the Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and 
Ireland, from 1875 to date. Side by side with these are, Avorthy to be noticed, 
three papers by my friend, Mr. John Eraser, LL.D., mentioned further on.. 
1 2 vols. , 4to., Melbourne, 1878. ^ Second Edition, 8vo., Adelaide, 1879. ® 8vo., Adelaide, 1879-80. 
* 8vo., Melbourne, 1880. ® Small 4to., Sydney, 1866 ; 2nd Edit., 4to., Sydney, 1875. ® 4to., Sydney, 1883. 
^ 4 vols. and atlas, 8vo. and folio, Melbourne, 1886. ® 8vo., London, 1870. ® 8vo., Paris, 1872. 4to., 
Melbourne, 1871. “ .Journal of Expeditions of Discovery in Central Australia, 2 vols., 8vo., London, 1845. 
Proc. Geogr. Soc. Australasia, &c., 1885, I, p. 27. 
B 
